Mosaic Monday ... It's Springtime!

The first day of Spring (September 1st) is known as Wattle Day here in Oz.  In many, many corners of this great land, the native Acacias or Wattle Trees start to bloom and signal the beginning of our Spring ... but not here.  In the surrounding bushland in my north-eastern corner of Australia, the Acacias bloom from early Autumn into early Winter, not Spring!

So we're not seeing this right now.

We're seeing these blooms instead.

Yes, the magnificent Poplar Gums, Eucalyptus platyphylla, are blooming.

My place is surrounded by these enormous Gum trees.  Most of them are around 20 metres in height and they will flower from late August into October.

This year, however, one or two have only just started blooming this past week. So bloom time is a slightly late, but it's terrific to see these fluffy little white flowers once again
 

Although, I have to say, this gal just doesn't seem all that impressed!!!

For some fantastic Mosaic Monday posts, please go on over and visit Mary at Little Red House

Friday Flower Flaunt ... Spring Has Sprung!

September is our first month of Springtime Downunder and as if to celebrate, the first flower buds on my Callistemon 'Pink Champagne' have burst open.  I've been enjoying watching each individual bud unfold slowly along the long flower spray. 

I'm rather pleased with the colours.

In the background of the above shot, you can see just how dry our front yard is now.  There's a carpet of brown parched grass all around the house as our 'dry' season enters its fifth month.  Thankfully there's some colour in the tiered garden bed where this pretty Callistemon is growing.

The Salvia elegans is flowering once more.

This pretty Salvia splendens hybrid hasn't stopped flowering for months now and it complements the dwarf pink Euphorbia pulcherrima perfectly. 

The Dietes bicolor continues to throw out flowerheads, and you can see the fan-like flowers of the dwarf lilac Scaevola spreading like groundcover in this garden bed.

The tiny white flowers of the white Cuphea hyssopifolia are on display all year round here and provide much needed colour at this dry time of year.

The newly planted Rudbeckia continue to bloom ...

... as does this fabulous Verbena hybrid 'Burgundy Surprise'.  The colour just seems to be deepening as the plant matures.

The beautiful double blooms of the Petunia 'Bonanza Series' continue to please ...

...  as do the gorgeous flowers of this compact Torenia 'Violet Magic'.

The delightful little Sunbirds have been flitting about the place and sharing their beautiful song.

I've been seeing quite a few Spangled Drongos ...

... and a Pheasant Coucal appears to have moved into the fern gully down beside our driveway.

I'm joining the Fertilizer Friday / Flaunt Your Flowers meme today, so go over and visit Tootsie at Tootsie Time for more fantastic  posts.

To see lots of beautiful flowers form all around the world, I'd recommend popping to the Weekend Flowers meme as well.

I'm also joining Today's Flowers

Mosaic Monday ... Birds and Blooms.

Well, Spring is almost upon us.  There's only two Winter days left and hat's not something I'm rejoicing over.  Springtime here is really just an early Summer.  The days have already started warming up considerably, with the mercury edging closer and closer to that 30 deg C (86F) mark.   The night time temps no longer drop below 15 deg C (59F).  So, before the conditions get warmer, I'm out and about the garden as much as possible.

It's lovely to see so many birds returning to the tree tops around here now.  After so much of the canopy was either stripped or ripped off during Cyclone Yasi back in February, the bird population seemed to dwindle a little as they took off in search of food.  They seem to be returning now as the canopy recovers.

(Starting top left)  I'm seeing Rainbow Lorikeets, Little Shrike Thrushes, Spangled Drongoes, Pheasant Coucals, Figbirds and Sulphur-Crested Cockatoos.  It's lovely hearing all the different bird songs throughout the day.

Out in the courtyard I'm really enjoying the sight of some great annuals flourishing.  Plants such as the Vanilla Marigold and the Bumble Bee Petunia make a great combination.

I'm also enjoying the plentiful blooms on the potted Azaleas.  I love how the flowers start off as dark pink buds, open up to show off their gorgeous dark pink petals and then start to fade to light pink as the flower ages.

Our 'dry' season drags on.  We haven't received rainfall for a few months now, which is usual, but as I gaze out onto the parched landscape that surrounds us here ...

... my mind goes back to the view out over the ocean that I enjoyed last weekend.  It was a refreshing change of scenery.

I'm joining Mary for Mosaic Monday.

Friday Flower Flaunt ... On This Dry, Dry End-of-Winter's Day.

Well, after having some trouble with the internet connection, I'm back to posting once again.  It's dry as a bone around here these days.  Some of the well-established plants around the place are starting to suffer as the 'dry' season rolls on.  The mercury is starting to rise as Spring approaches, so it doesn't take long for the potted plants to dry out as well.

Let's see what's blooming despite the parched conditions.

The first blooms are appearing on the Vanilla Marigolds and they look great in amongst the Bumble Bee Petunias.

I've grown these 'Bonanza' Petunias now for a couple of years and they are most definitely the longest flowering, easiest to keep going Petunias for the climate and conditions here.  I love the ones with the white tips on their petals.  They do make a great show.

More of the 'Bonanza Series' Petunias.

I've only managed to get one pot of Verbenas going this year.  All the other plants succumbed to some sort of fungal problem which I just couldn't get on top of.  Never mind, the ones that have come through are certainly putting on a pretty display.

The Lobelia is mingling wonderfully well with the Lavender.

It's marvellous to see the variegated flowers on this double Impatiens walleriana return.  Last year the flowers had reverted back to just plain red, but obviously the change in position must have done some good.  Those pretty red and white splotches are back.

The display on this unknown variety of Begonia is a gorgeous sight through my kitchen window.

Finally, there's something afoot in my pots of Asiatic and Oriental Liliums. 

I just have to be patient a little longer!

Join in the Fertilizer Friday / Flaunt Your Flowers meme by popping in to visit Tootsie at Tootsie Time

I'm joining Weekend Flowers for the first time.  Thank you for the invitation Tina!

I'm also joining Today's Flowers